Power electronics frequently include switches that open and/or close electrical circuits and interrupt and/or allow the flow of current. Electronic switches, such as insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), or the like, are frequently used in power electronics to control the current that can flow across the switch. Several types of these electronic switches are frequently opened or closed depending on the application of a voltage on a gate terminal of that switch (VGE). Typically, when the gate voltage of the switch, with respect to another terminal of the switch (source or emitter) reaches a threshold, the switch starts to close and allows current to flow between the power terminals of the switch which can be referenced as collector and emitter or drain and source.
However, many switches are designed to operate with a limited amount of current. While switches can often be designed to withstand higher currents, the components of the switch may be larger or have higher costs. Further, it is still possible that an unanticipated short circuit or fault may occur. Since the switch can be damaged due to overheating and/or stress if current limits of the switch are exceeded, it may be beneficial to protect switches from exceeding such current limits and/or to protect switches in case an overcurrent condition arises.